Rep. Rashida Tlaib will deliver a response to the State of the Union. Who is she?
Once President Joe Biden leaves the podium after giving his first State of the Union Tuesday, two political leaders will deliver separate responses to the address: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for the Republican Party and Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Although a member of Biden's own party, Tlaib will speak on behalf of the independent Working Families Party. It is a first for the Michigan Democrat, who has come to represent the progressive movement on Capitol Hill along with several other female members of Congress.
What else is there to know about Tlaib? What is the Working Families Party and what is expected from the speech? Here's what to know:
Who is Rashida Tlaib?
Tlaib represents the 13th Congressional District of Michigan, which encompasses Detroit and surrounding areas.
The former attorney was the first Muslim woman to serve in the Michigan legislature. Tlaib also became one of the only Muslim members and first Palestinian American woman in Congress after winning the seat in 2018 and handily winning reelection in 2020.
The progressive lawmaker — along with fellow progressive Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. — is a member of the "Squad," a group of four women whom former President Donald Trump told in 2019 to "go back" to their respective countries.
Tlaib serves on the House Committees on Financial Services and Oversight and Reform and is a member of several caucuses, including the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Black Maternal Healthcare Caucus and Democratic Women's Caucus.
What is the Working Families Party?
The Working Families Party is a progressive political party independent of the main parties. The party has supported challengers to incumbent Democrats and has previously endorsed Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
New York Attorney General Tish James, who is leading an investigation into the Trump Organization, is listed among candidates endorsed by the Working Families Party.
Learn more: From Ukraine to historic Supreme Court nominee: 5 things to watch for in Biden's State of the Union address
Is this the party's first State of the Union response?
Tlaib will deliver the party's fifth response to a presidential address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday. Pressley, Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor and current Senate candidate Mandela Barnes and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., have all responded on behalf of the party before.
Maurice Mitchell, national director for the Working Families Party, called Tlaib a "fearless progressive who wakes up every day to fight for working people."
"We’re thrilled for her to deliver the WFP State of the Union Response,” Mitchell said in a statement. "Rashida will articulate a progressive vision for how we can meet the basic needs of the American people, and ensure all of us can thrive.”
Tlaib said she will elevate working-class voices and encourage Democrats to "move with a sense of urgency" during the speech.
“It should not be this hard to deliver on healthcare, climate, housing, child care, safety, voting rights, clean water and so much more," she said, according to the statement. "Democrats are in the majority and must set a new course that moves with a sense of urgency. Our communities deserve for us to act now.”
Contributing: Detroit Free Press
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